By Maureen Eugene
Brands with the greatest customer engagements succeed the most at winning customer loyalty. Once your company has identified the needs and tastes of customers, you automatically win your client’s heart. Customers want to feel valued and it’s your responsibility to make them feel that way and more to win them over. No matter how much effort you put into the innovation of products and services or how competitive your price is if your customers are unhappy you can lose them. Most of the time, your customer’s lookout for actions that back up your ending promises of prioritizing their needs. Winning a client’s heart isn’t rocket science but some companies struggle with strategies to engage and connect with clients.
Below are ways in which your customer’s heart can be won over and over again;
1. Personalize service or products:
When it comes to a customer relationship there is no such thing as “one size fits all”. Learn to relate to your customers on a personal level, create products or services that would meet their individual needs. Whether you are sending broadcast messages, emails or newsletters, address them by their names. You can also personalize your services or products by organizing loyalty survey questionnaires with the client, thereby getting the products each client is interested in and how they would love to buy them. In a bid to personalize your products or services, give your business a human face. Some clients feel like they are not being listened to because they can tell that your customer representatives are just reciting answers from a script. Train and teach your customer representatives to be spontaneous with their conversations with clients, so they can be at ease and comfortable while their issues are being sorted out. Make sure that if there’ll be transitions during the call, it should be smooth, on time, and not stressful for the clients.
2. Identifying customer and customer service to relation isn’t a department but an attitude:
Customers expect a high standard of service and top-notch experiences. These sets of behaviors or actions that individuals anticipate when interacting with a company. If your business is programmed or positioned in such a way that it can meet and beat customer expectations, that’s a plus for you. If you can identify these among your clients, it automatically places you at the top of their preference list.
Here are some customers expectations:
a. Availability: your customers would always contact you when it’s convenient for them and they expect that you will always be available to meet their needs.
b. Speed: Most clients do not have the patience of opening several search engines before being able to access your products. They also want quick responses to their questions and solutions to their challenges on time. For example, when your customer care line is contacted and they are made to wait for so long before being attended to. Customers always want it “NOW”, at a specific time and location.
c. Knowledge: If you have a consistent customer, try your best to know their regular purchases and period of purchase. This is to ensure a quick solution if the need arises and answers to questions with regards to their purchase.
This statement “the customer is always right” should always come to play in your dealings with your customers.
3. Build credibility consciously:
Your customers have to trust you enough to return. In this day and time, everything is commercialized and everyone is selling something. Your credibility is what would make your brand stand out. Consciously build a credible system for your brand. One that does what it says you will do and at the time you promised you would. Provide third-party support. That is, citations, references, etc. For example, the information provided on your site to authenticate the product or service. Another important way to build credibility is to establish clear policies. What applies to one should apply to all. Maintain a great reputation by being consistent in what you think, say, and do. Become an expert in the field or brand of your business and be confident enough so people would easily count on you to deliver products or render services to them. Be accountable for your decisions, actions, and mistakes. Take steps to correct errors you made. If you aren’t sure of an answer, tell your customer that you are not.
4. Be Relevant:
Stand out in your operations as a company or business. Develop a unique value and create unforgettable memories.
Exploit your competitor’s weaknesses especially if they are important needs of a customer. Go above and beyond for your customers. Promise less and over-deliver when it’s time. Quite importantly, be where your clients are. Imagine a client in need of a service or product you render or sell and you are there to meet their needs at the right time. You can create your relevance in the hearts of your customers when you identify relevant niches and make them your priority. Always stay visible so that your brand becomes what comes to mind when your customers are in search of the kind of services you offer.
Following these steps will create a connection with your customers, build trust and truly make a difference in the way your customer perceives your business.
Winning the heart of your customers may seem like a difficult task but it becomes easier when you humanize yourself and your brand to build a long-lasting relationship with your customers.
When you have successfully won over the heart of your customers, they end up advertising your brand for you as they become support pillars for your business. Thereby boosting the brand reputation and popularity. What action would you be taking from today to keep winning your customer’s hearts?